Adrian's pov
Adrian DeLuca never believed in fate. He believed in control.
And for years, he had controlled everything his empire, his enemies, his own emotions.
Everything except her.
Sophia.
She had been just a child when he first saw her a fragile thing with big, innocent eyes and a quiet presence. He hadn't meant to notice her. But once he did, he couldn't stop.
She had grown into something delicate and untouched by the filth of his world. A rare kind of innocence that didn't belong anywhere near a man like him. But Adrian didn't believe in letting things go. He took what he wanted.
And he wanted her.
He had kept his distance for years, watching from the shadows. His men reported everything: what time she left for class, when she worked at the café, who she spoke to. He memorized every routine, every pattern, knowing that one day, she would be his.
But now, things were changing.
That boy Liam. He had seen the way Sophia smiled at him, the easy comfort between them. Adrian clenched his jaw, his grip tightening on the crystal glass in his hand.
That boy didn't deserve her.
No one did.
He had waited long enough. He had been patient, watching from a distance, letting her live her foolish, normal life. But normal wasn't for her.
She belonged to him.
And it was time she knew it.